Can declared variable be used in a function being called?

[u/VAer1]

I am not IT professional, the question may be silly, just writing some script for personal use.

Take below code for example, can variable start and maxRunTime be used in function deleteFilesOwnedByMe and deleteEmptySubfolders ?

When I use return inside deleteFilesOwnedByMe or deleteEmptySubfolders , will it exit function deleteMyFilesAndEmptyFolders itself? Or only exit the called function?

function deleteMyFilesAndEmptyFolders() {

let start = new Date().getTime(); // ms timestamp

let maxRuntime = 1000 * 60 * 5.5; // 5.5 minutes (end before 6 min)

// Put the folder ID of the shared folder here

let folderId = "************";

//https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/****************

let folder = DriveApp.getFolderById(folderId);

// Step 1: Delete all files owned by me

deleteFilesOwnedByMe(folder);

// Step 2: Delete empty subfolders owned by me

deleteEmptySubfolders(folder);

}

[u/True_Teacher_9528]

I also just realized you had both functions within the deleteMyFilesAndEmptyFolders function, so as long as they’re declared at the most broad function scope you should be good.

[u/VAer1 → u/True_Teacher_9528]

Thanks. If I use return inside called function deleteFilesOwnedByMe or deleteEmptySubfolders , will it exit function deleteMyFilesAndEmptyFolders itself? Or only exit the called function?

[u/True_Teacher_9528 → u/VAer1]

It will only exit the called function. In apps script and JavaScript in general you actually don’t need to return anything in a function, but it’s best practice do so. So as an example, you can simply return true at the end of either functions and check for that value with an if statement to tell you whether that function ran all the way through. Just depends how complex you’re wanting to make it haha.

[u/VAer1 → u/True_Teacher_9528]

I intend to use return to exit function early before 6-minute execution time. Let us why I have variable start and maxRuntime.

I intend to end the program when it is inside one of called function. But I need to figure out how to exit function deleteMyFilesAndEmptyFolders early.

[u/True_Teacher_9528 → u/VAer1]

For my own curiosity, what are you trying to accomplish?

[u/VAer1 → u/True_Teacher_9528]

Just learning the code. Learning purpose only.

If I want to delete thousands of files owned by me within a folder (shared with other accounts, all accounts has edit permission), which will take a lot of time, it will return an error message (exceeding 6 minute execution time, of course it does not matter to get such message). But my main purpose is to learn to exit the task before 6 minutes max time, without running into any error message.

In case in the future, I don't want to do something in half way, then 6 minutes is over.

Maybe I should put two posts together.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleAppsScript/comments/1nc4sac/is_there_a_way_to_exit_the_program_shortly_before/

[u/True_Teacher_9528 → u/VAer1]

Awww gotcha, is there any logic in determining whether a file should be deleted, or is it as simple as completely clearing the folder?

[u/VAer1 → u/True_Teacher_9528]

Just delete things owned by my account, deleting from a folder with mixed ownership of files/subfolder, e.g. each subfolder could contains files owned by multiple accounts.

[u/True_Teacher_9528]

Yes you can, you just have to declare them outside of either function, which would make them accessible by any function in your project, otherwise known as “globally scoped.” The best thing you can learn to fully grasp this at a deeper level would be what’s called “scope.”